An island aside

Sometimes the studio feels like an island aside of time. Inside this glass case I move around in a landscape of my own construction, distilled from the objects which surround me. Sometimes people watch through the glass, sometimes I watch people watching. Often there is the thud of a head against the window from a misjudged closer look. Reflections of the island fragment the view of the room beyond. I think about the rows of figurines captured in their individual scenes as I take photographs inside this scene of my own making.

Phoebe Cummings was the V&A's ceramics artist-in-residence from June-December 2010. Since graduating from the Royal College of Art in 2005 she has undertaken a number of residencies, projects and exhibitions in the UK, USA and Greenland.

We have a thriving and exciting programme of artists in residence here at the Museum, with at least two practitioners inhabiting our studios at any given time.

Here we show the process of being an artist or designer in residence here at the V&A, with behind-the-scenes insights and stories from Residency Co-ordinator, Laura Southall, and the artists themselves.